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Comprehensive solution

Once an agreement is reached with Greece, the accession of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) into NATO and the European Union would certainly be a very positive development for both countries and for the region as a whole.

No one, however, wants to see half-measures adopted in the quest for a rapid resolution of the dispute, hurried decisions that will change the country’s name but will not put an end to the phenomena of irredentism seen there.

FYROM’s claims on Greece are at the heart of the dispute and it remains to be seen whether the government in Skopje is genuinely committed to finding a solution and ready to address this issue on a practical level.

In all past negotiations, the issue of the name has been intrinsically linked to the entirety of the problem, with Athens asking for a comprehensive proposal from the other side. And this latest round of United Nations-brokered talks is no exception.